Julianne Hough Approves of Husband Brooks Laich's 'Thirst Trap' Photos: 'This Is Awesome'

The former NHL star called the shirtless photos "completely over the top and ridiculous" as his wife praised them

Brooks Laich's self-proclaimed "thirst trap" seems to have worked on wife Julianne Hough.

On Wednesday, the former NHL star, 36, took a stab at what he claimed is his first "thirst trap" post on Instagram, having admitted to just learning the sexy social media terminology. In a series of three snapshots, Laich stands shirtless as he poses in knee-high water and totes a chainsaw, an ax and a belt featuring other heavy-duty tools.

"THIRST TRAP! I just heard that term a few weeks ago, and our @howmenthinkpodcast producer @torrbelle challenged me do my best 'thirst trap' photo for this weeks episode!" he wrote in the caption.

Laich called the mini photo shoot "over the top" and asked his followers to suggest their best caption to accompany the photographs.

"Just completely over the top and ridiculous, but who gives a damn! Best part was watching @hebercannon die laughing behind the lens," he wrote. "So here you go internet, feast your eyes on this senseless carousel!"

Michael Tran/Getty

Approving of the playfully steamy post, Hough, 31, supported her husband in the comments section, as she self-isolates apart from Laich during the pandemic. "This is awesome haha 🤣🔥," she wrote. "Also the fact that you just figured out what a thirst trap is... 🤣"

Laich then replied, "you know how i do (5 years late)..... 😂😂🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️."

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Laich's brother-in-law, Derek Hough, also commented on the Instagram post, writing, "Yo that Koda shot !!! Bro, Mountain Man of 2020 !!!!!!" to which Laich replied, "@derekhough took a page out of the DH playbook for these 😂😂😂😂😂"

The couple, which insiders previously told PEOPLE had hit a rough patch in their marriage earlier this year, are currently living apart as they isolate in different places amid the coronavirus pandemic: Laich has been at their home in Idaho since last month, while Hough stayed behind in Los Angeles.

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"In a lot of ways, absolutely nothing has changed — which is weird because for most people, quarantine has either brought you closer together or driven you further apart," a source who knows the couple told PEOPLE. "But they've largely been living separate lives for so long that it's just sort of more of the same."

The source added: "She's in her place doing her own thing, he's in his place doing his own thing. They're both staying fairly isolated on their own."

While Laich and Hough were living together in L.A. when the pandemic hit the U.S. in March, Laich headed to Idaho a few weeks later. A source told PEOPLE at the time the ice hockey player was "living the simple life in nature, which makes him happy."

"They are still together, but just not quarantined in the same place," the source said of the couple. "Their relationship has always been like this, though — they like to do their own thing."

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